China rejects US criticism of pressure on Taiwan flight permit

BEIJING: China’s foreign ministry on Thursday said it firmly opposes Washington’s criticism of Chinese pressure on some African countries to revoke overflight clearances for Taiwan’s president.

Taiwan this week said the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unilaterally revoked flight permits for its presidential aircraft to cross airspace they manage on a planned trip to Eswatini, one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies.

It is the first instance of a Taiwanese president having to cancel a whole foreign trip due to a denial of airspace access, representing a new Chinese strategy as it steps up efforts to stifle the island’s attempts to engage internationally.

Speaking at a daily press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Washington should stop interfering in China’s internal affairs using the Taiwan issue.

The US’ “unfounded criticism of the just measures taken by relevant countries to uphold the One China principle completely confuses right and wrong and turns black into white,” Guo told reporters.

The US State Department said the three countries acted at the behest of China, in another case of Beijing waging its “intimidation campaign” against Taiwan and its supporters.

“We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue, especially with Taiwan’s democratically elected leadership,” said Raymond Greene, the top US diplomat in Taipei, on Thursday.

The European Union and Britain’s de-facto ambassador in Taipei also expressed their concern.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te had been due to leave for the southern African kingdom of Eswatini on Wednesday, but said the night before the trip had to be put off due to the airspace problems.

Taiwan has condemned China, saying it used economic “coercion” to get the three African countries to close their airspace. China has denied the pressure accusations and expressed its appreciation of the blocking of Lai’s trip.

China says Taiwan is one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state ties, a view Lai and his government strongly reject.

Only 12 countries have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.